This application is not based upon any pending domestic or international patent applications.
This application is not referenced in any microfiche appendix.
Many thousands of miles of pipeline operated in the United States and other countries of the world transport gas and particularly natural gas for use as fuel for heating homes, offices, factory buildings and other applications. Further, gas is a common fuel employed for industrial applications including for use in generating electrical energy and in the chemical manufacturing industry. A natural gas pipeline typically carries with it some water. Water can occur as a result of condensation. Further, natural gas when produced from a well borehole typically has some water entrained therein. Separators are used to extract most of the water, but inevitably some remains.
Water is deleterious to a gas pipeline. Water accumulation in a portion of a pipeline, can reduce the effective cross-sectional area of the pipeline and therefore impede flow rates through the pipeline. Further, water in a pipeline can result in corrosion.
In addition, water promotes biological growths on the interior walls of pipelines.
For these and other reasons, good pipeline maintenance requires that water accumulation be kept to a minimum. Further, for long, trouble-free life of a pipeline it is beneficial to periodically treat the wall of the pipeline to inhibit corrosion as well as reducing the potential for bacteria growth. For these reasons, the invention herein provides a method of improving the operation of a pipeline having gas flow therein that has some water component in which the method includes the use of soluble soap pigs that are dimensioned and configured to move through a pipeline by the force of gas flow. For background information relating to methods for improving the maintenance and operation of pipelines reference may be had to the following previously issued United States Patents:
The invention herein is a method of improving the operation of a pipeline having gas flow therethrough and in which some water occurs. In a gas pipeline water is harmful since it augments corrosion and bacteria growth and if accumulated in significant quantities can reduce gas flow through the pipeline.
The method of this invention includes introducing into the interior of a pipeline a soluble soap pig that is dimensioned to move through the pipeline by gas flow. The composition of a soap pig is selected so that a soap film is applied to the interior wall of the pipeline as the soap pig moves by the force of gas flow through the pipeline. Further, the dimension and composition of the soap pig is selected such that it slowly dissolves by the water component of the pipeline so that it is not necessary to recover the soap pig from the interior of the pipeline.
The soap pig may be formulated so that it is anti-corrosive, anti-bacterial or both.
A more complete understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following description and claims taken in conjunction with the attached drawings.